Green
by sam carter 1013
Summary: “Aren’t you going to ask me what am I hiding?”
1. Chapter 1

Spoilers: The cure, Dream Logic.

Disclaimer: They are not mine. No thank you, they make me cry too much.

Incredibly boring and long author's note:

I didn't expect this one! I was actually expecting to publish one of the other eight fics I'm working on, but at this point I'm just happy to publish something, I can't seem to be able to finish anything. Anyway, the most important here first is that I want to thank Ocean, zeusfluff, JTF2, wjobsessed, Rilla3, JT4Life, maddie, stelallux24 and Xeen Cyr at , and to Agui, bookworn2342 and Dr. Prometheus at fringe forum; I hope I'm not forgetting anybody, thank you for your reviews. They are worth more than I can express with words. REALLY.

I'll place this between "Dream Logic" and "Earthling", just for timeline sake. I really hope this isn't too corny or uncharacter like, but I needed to write something that made Olivia emotional, I noticed after "Grey Matters" (too late) that her character seems unemotional lately, I'm not sure if that was the writers intention or something that just happened, I dwell about this on another fic. So, after the rambling, please any comment will be highly appreciated, and since my first language is not English (Anybody interested on beta work? I just can offer cyber cookies and constant gratitude) I just hope this is not full of mistakes. Enjoy!

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Green

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Olivia knew he was watching her, he was just standing there, leaning on the frame door, one hand in his jean's pockets, the other behind his back and that smirk on his face.

She had been cranky all day, today from all days; she just wanted it to be over.

"What are you doing?"

She dropped the pen exasperated.

"What does it look like am doing? The report, from Oregon."

His expression didn't change, it almost seemed like he was purposely being cheerful. It irritated her to no end. She picked up the pen and kept writing.

"Aren't you going to ask me what am I hiding?"

Olivia dropped the pen again.

"Peter, I really don't have time for this right now, so please, can I finish my report?"

Peter didn't even flinch and approached the desk.

"Sure."

She picked up her pen with her last thread of patience. Peter stayed where he was; in front of her desk. She looked up, dropped the pen, crossed her arms and sat comfortably on her chair; with her most sarcastic tone she asked: "Okay, let's see it, what is it? Walter's new toy? What?" Mid sentence Olivia started to make angry movements with her hands.

Peter; trying to hide his amusement in his smile, put his hand out from behind his back and placed a small white jewelry box with a blue ribbon on her desk. Olivia's expression changed almost immediately going from annoyance to regret to embarrassment.

"You remembered." Her tone was very soft and her cheeks got a light shade of pink.

"C'mon, open it."

Olivia took the box from her desk hesitantly hiding her eyes from Peter. It has been so long since somebody had given her a present, especially on her birthday, since pretty much everybody knew she didn't like to celebrate, and she felt touched. He had just been trying to cheer up her day a little.

She removed the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box; inside there were four hairpins, green emeralds forming a garland.

"For your new hairdo."

Olivia didn't look up; he would notice the unshed tears.

"They are beautiful. Thank you."

Peter went around the desk and took the box from her hand.

"May I?"

Their eyes meet for a second, she saw sparkling blue, he saw shy green.

"Sure."

His touch was warm, foreign, electrical and tender at the same time.

Peter bended her head front and slowly placed each hairpin around her messy bun; he felt incredibly nervous. He was right; this was too personal, too much.

"All done."

Olivia felt them with her hand; before she could do much Peter stopped her mid movement.

"Careful there, don't mess with my work of art."

Their hands met. She could not remember the last time she felt this warm inside.

Peter went around the desk again and sat on the opposite chair, his smile was still there. Olivia took the box and fidgeted with it for a moment, Peter made a movement to rise from the chair but Olivia's voice stopped him.

"My mom had some like this... beautiful with green stones; they glistened on the sunlight every time she wore them. She told me once she will give them to me..." Olivia made a pause still playing with the box, "Rachel found them when we cleared up all her things, she liked them and I had got my mother's wedding ring, so Rachel kept them, it seemed fair. I think she lost them a while ago."

Olivia's office was silent for a moment.

"I think they looked better on me when I tried them on."

They both laughed. Olivia looked up directly into Peter's eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek. Peter lifted his hand and brushed it away, a huge smile on his face.

"There you are. I thought we have lost you."

Olivia knew he had noticed too, she was losing herself and her feelings in this battle.

"I let you finish your report now." He was closing the door when she called him back.

"Thank you, really. They are really beautiful."

They smiled at each other.

********

Weeks later, at picking up the Bishops at home she picked a picture, in it, who she assumed to be Peter's mother was wearing the same exact hairpins.

She touched them remembering Peter's touch.

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	2. Chapter 2

Spoilers: Everything so far.

Disclaimer: No, if they were mine, well… read the author's note.

Author's note: I can just say one thing: I hate Walter Bishop. That episode was so awesome, I was doing my happy dance and screaming like crazy when I read about the almost kiss; for some reason I couldn't download properly the episode, and I still can't; and then when I watched it complete I was stupidily crying at the cyber and the lady next to me was like "What's wrong with her?", the worst part? it's still four weeks for the episode to air here and I'm still crying, and it's all for nothing. I want to kill Walter Bishop, and JJ if possible, because of their so miserable timing. There, I said it.

Author's note 2: On a happier note I want to thank Elishaak, wjobsessed and Angelenee at and to Mancha and Agui at fringe forum for reading and reviewing the first part of this, it was actually a one shot but it seemed like everybody thought I had more, I didn't but my brain worked very hard to come upt with this, I hope it lives to your expectations. Thanks again for reviewing. I'll have the third part of this for Saturday. Read and enjoy! (and review?)

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Green

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"Open mine aunt 'Liv." Ella said excited as she pushed a medium size package into Olivia's hands. Olivia unwrap her gift to find a picture of herself, her sister and niece in a frame decorated with all kinds of noodles painted in green.

"She wanted to give you something she made herslef." Rachel said while picking up wrapping papper from all over the living room.

"Do you like it aunt 'Liv?"

"I love it Ella, it's beautiful. You know what, I'm going to take this to work to show it off." Ella giggled and hugged her aunt.

"Well, I think that's all, right?" Olivia looked around to the complete mess they have done while opening their presents.

"Actually, there's one more." Rachel pointed under the tree where two small packages wrapped in green were waiting; Ella practically slide through the floor in her sock claded feet and delivered the gifts to Olivia.

"Open them aunt 'Liv!" Ella was practically bouncing.

"Who are these?"

Rachel looked kinda of embarassed for a second. "Peter stopped by yesterday when you went shopping, he actually called first to make sure you weren't here, I guess he wanted it to be a surprise. C'mon Ella, let your aunt open her presents."

"But I want to see!" The little child protested enphatically.

"It's okay, Rachel, you can stay too." Rachel left what she was doing and sat on the couch.

Olivia examined the two packaged by touch and decided to open the one that fetl softer. Socks, grey woolen socks to be precise, with something inside. Olivia unrolled the socks and found a bottle of medication with a note in Walter's bright handwriting: _"For when you get cold feet and headaches. Merry Christmas. Walter Bishop."_

"Are those pills from Peter?" Rachel asked extremely surprised.

"I like the socks." Ella commented while reaching for the socks to touch.

"No, his father."

"Why would he give you pills?" It was a difficult question that Olivia had no energy to answer right now.

"He must have gotten confused. I will give them him back when I get back to work." Rachel looked at her not covinced of her answer but let it go.

Olivia moved on with the second package, which she assumed to be Peter's. She had gotten him anything.

A small wooden box appeared before her eyes, it had beautiful carvings in form of garlands, she touched the engraving remembering Peter's mother hairpins he had given her on her birthday. She really hoped the box wasn't her mother's too, it was still too personal. She opened the box, a cristal ballerina rose while Claire de Lune started to play. It was a music box.

"It's beautiful!" Ella cried in excitment at the present.

Olivia reached inside the box where another object lied, she rose it in the air.

"It's a dreamcatcher." Rachel said from the couch, her right hand on her chest. "He's watching after you." Her sister's comment made Olivia feel warm all over. Indeed he was.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure, sweetie." Olivia handed the dreamcatcher to her niece, both examining it. It was green, all of it, green stones, green thread, green feathers.

"What is it for aunt 'Livia? Is it like a necklace?" It was certainly small enough that she could wear it around her neck.

"No sweetie, it's to keep bad dreams away."

"C'mon El, help me to pick the paper." Ella left Olivia's side to help her mother.

Olivia stood from the floor where she was sitting and went to her bedroom holding her gifts; she placed the socks with the pills on her dresser, there she took out her green hairpins, opening the music box she heard the music again and placed the hairpins inside, the fit perfectly.

With the music still playing se hanged the dreamcatcher on her headboard. He was always watching after her.

She would have to get him something very nice for his birthday.

********


	3. Chapter 3

Spoilers: Jacksonville (still counts as spoiler, right?)

Disclaimer: So much awesomeness could not be mine.

Author's note: I had not planned for this to go this way, but inevitably Jacksonville sneak into it. The last installment would be published after the season finale, sorry. Enjoy!

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Green

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"Walter, what the hell are you looking for?" Peter practically screamed at his father, hands in his jean's pockets.

"The perfect color."

"They are all the same color."

"No, they are in the same shade range, but I want to give her the perfect one." Walter kept looking through the wide range of aquamarine sweaters at the department store and Peter was loosing it. He had spent the last couple of days in a bad mood, but who could blame him, one second he was on his way to his possibly first "date" with Olivia and the next she had left saying Broyles wanted to see her, which of course, he knew was a lie; he was pretty sure Walter had said or done something that had got Olivia cold feet and rethink the whole situation, he had lost his chance of something more with her and yes, he was pissed.

"I found it!" Walter cried in excitement, half the women at the department looked at him.

"Wonderful, let's go." Peter started to walk towards the nearest paying point when Walter made his suggestion.

"You should get her something."

"Who?"

"Agent Dunham." That stopped Peter.

"What for? So you can ruin it again? You know, one day I'm gonna find out what the hell you told her and you'll have some explaining to do."

"I don't doubt that, son." Walter looked at him with sorrow in his eyes, the same he had noticed in Olivia's eyes the only time he had seen her since the pathetic "almost date" and regretted the venom in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I just... Olivia... forget it." He felt Walter's hand on his shoulder.

"Agent Dunham would love it, Peter, after all you are his friend."

"Maybe that's the problem." _That I want more than to be her friend._

"This day it's not only for lovers Peter, is also to celebrate friendship, and maybe with time..." Walter left the statement hanging still looking sad; Peter only agreed to look around to erase that expression from his father's face.

After paying for Astrid's sweater (wrapped in a ridiculous pink box, _it has to be pink_, Walter insisted) they kept looking around to hopefully find something for Olivia. Walter got distracted by the glimmering of Swarovski crystal at the jewelry department when something else caught Peter's eye.

A necklace. White gold with a single green stone and a pair of matching earrings, small and discreet. They would look so perfect on her. Peter almost immediately deleted the idea, he had already given her two very personal presents, his mother's hairpins on her birthday and the music box with the dream catcher on Christmas, if he was right and Olivia didn't want to start anything with him this would be entirely too much and she would retract even further; on the other hand maybe he would make her doubt of her decision with this, make her think twice and maybe accept to go out for those drinks again. Maybe he was and idiot who needed his head examined.

"Are you looking for something, sir?"

"I would take the necklace and earring, please."

"A present for you girlfriend?"

"No, just a friend." The lady behind the counter seemed surprised, who wouldn't? Who would buy jewelry to "just a friend" for Valentine's Day.

"We also have it in red, if you would like to see it." Peter smiled to himself.

"No, thank you, she is more a green kind of girl." Peter paid for the jewelry, the sales clerk asked if he wanted her to wrap it, he had said no; the black case would be less compromising. He unglued his father from the Swarovski display and went home.

********

Olivia kept trying to read the report, but she couldn't make out the words.

It had been three days now and she could still not face him, he would know the moment he'll look into her eyes and he would not stop glimmering.

She had a very enlightening conversation with Walter the day after, he had explained everything and asked for time, time to figure out how to tell Peter, and it had been three days. Olivia knew that the more she waited the worst Peter's reaction would be, but it was already a lost cause, she had not tell him at the time and whenever this got out he would accuse her for it.

She had pretty much ran out of his house and almost flew to her apartment; it was until she was leaning on the lamp table that she started to cry, it wasn't fair, this changed everything... she had been so angry that she had punched the glass of the lamp table with her fist.

That was also another reason she hadn't gone to the lab, he would see the bandage and know something is wrong and she still hadn't figure out what to tell him.

Sleeping had become another problem, again, she had recurred to alcohol, again, it wasn't called sleeping anymore, more like passing out, and she felt like shit, her head was pounding, she was still hangover, she could hardly see, but that had been the point, wasn't it?

"Hey." Olivia froze.

She looked up.

Peter looked at her worried, very worried. He noticed the red rimmed eyes and the bandage on her right hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

"Nothing. An accident. Nothing serious." Olivia looked anywhere but him. It exasperated Peter to no end.

"What are you doing here?"

"You haven't been to the lab."

"I'm busy; Broyles has me checking files for other cases."

"You could just go to say hello, the fact that we don't have a case doesn't mean you can't visit."

"I know, but really I am busy." She was looking her files again, but she could still see the glimmering.

"Listen, Olivia..." Peter played nervously with the black box she noticed he had in his hands, "I don't know what happened, why you left, maybe I misunderstood, but if you... don't feel the same... it doesn't have to be like this, I'm still her for you. As your friend." It hurt listening to him talk; did he really think she didn't feel the same? She had said yes to his invitation, but it was obvious she had confused him; he still thought she was afraid; she was, but not of the feelings he thought.

"I know." Olivia felt him approached the desk and placed the box in front of her.

"Please don't read more on this than it is. You are still my friend."

Peter tried touching her but stopped his hand mid gesture.

She felt Peter leave the office. Olivia took the box and opened it. The glimmering of the jewelry was so different to his. She put her head in her hands. It was over.

********

It was very late when he heard the knock on the door, Walter was already asleep and Peter was on the kitchen looking for something strong to help him sleep. Peter was very surprised to see her standing there. Olivia started talking at once.

"I'm sorry, I know it's late but I needed to talk to you." Peter gestured her to come in but she declined. Olivia finally looked at him and saw resolution, whatever was troubling her she had made a decision about it. "It's not what you think, whatever you are thinking it's not why I left, I, I... cannot explain it now, but it's not you Peter, it's not that I don't want the same as you, it got complicated and I freaked out, but believe me it wasn't you," She wasn't making a lot of sense to him, she almost looked and sounded as the day John died and she tried to explain to him why he needed to stay, but he listened nonetheless. "and I hope we we'll there someday again, now I need you to promise me something," Olivia looked pleadingly into his eyes, so desperate, Peter was just trying to keep up with her "promise you won't leave, that whatever happens you won't leave... you won't leave me."

He was confused as hell, this was not the Olivia he was used to, he opened his mouth to ask for an explanation when he saw glittering on her neck. She was wearing the necklace.

No matter what was happening Peter knew one thing, he could trust her, she was telling the truth, she wanted this, and whatever she was talking about will be explained later, but she needed him to promise this to her right now and damn if he could deny anything to her.

"I promise."

"Whatever happens?"

"There is nowhere else I'd like to be, Olivia. This is my place." She looked a little bit more at ease after his promise. "Now, why don't you come inside and we talk."

Olivia immediately took a step back; Peter could not understand this woman.

"I really can't, but I'll take a rainchek on that, someday." Olivia tried to smile at him and left.

Peter stood there at the door for a while, he watched her got in to the SUV and leave. Whatever was going on it was a lot worse than he expected.

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End file.
